Rotary weeder and cultivator.



A. E. & H. F. VROOMAN & S. S. SWANSON.

ROTARY WEEDER AND CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1914.

1 1 4 1 ,99'7 Patented June 8, 1915.

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A. E. & H. F. VROOMAN & S. S. SWANSON.

ROTARY WEEDER AND CULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5 1914.

Patented June 8, 1915.

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Anna E. VRGOMAN Ann HOWARD F. VROOMAN, OF PAINESVILLE, AND STARLEY S.

SVTANSON, 0F BELLEVUE, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE VROOMAN COMPANY, OF BELLEV'UE, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

ROTARY WEEDER AND OULTIVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1915.

Application filed May 5, 1914. Serial No. 836,449.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, AREA E. VnooMAN, HowARD F. VROOMAN, and STARLEY Swanson, citizens of the United States, said Anna E. Vnooaran and HOWARD F. Vnoo- MAN residing at Painesville and said STAR- LEY S. SwANsoN residing at Bellevue, in the counties of Lake and Huromrespectively, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Weeders and Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements 1n rotary weeders and cultivators, the primary object being to provide a generally improved implement of this class of exceedingly simple, cheap and eflicient construction better adapted to its intended purposes than any other device of this class or type with which we are acquainted.

The invention relates more particularly to larly designed and adapted for use in the weeding or cultivation of onions and similar or analogous vegetables, the improved implement being adapted to straddle the rows of growing vegetables, weeder and cultivator brought into close and thereto for the purpose of mulching and cultivating the soil along and between the growing plants without in any way injuring the same, and at the same time destroying the sprouting and growing weeds without covering the growing. plants or vegetables by the loosened soil. j

A still further object is to provide means for mounting and adjusting the rotary weeder elements or members whereby the prongs thereof are adapted to revolve transversely to the line of travel-or direction of elements may be proper proximity the implement and at substantially right anwhereby the rotary I drawings, and

cultivator spider wheels or members may be placed slightly in advance of the other so that the thereof will overlap and extend into the row of growing vegetables thus enabling the soil in the row, and between the growing plants to be stirred or mulched thereby destroying the sprouting or growing weeds between the plants. Practical experience with this instrument has demonstrated that this may be done during the initial cultivation of the early or initial growth of such vegetables as onions without in any way injuring the same, this being particularly due to the fact that such vegetables or plants are more deeply rooted and of a more hardy character than ordinary sprouting or growing weeds.

A still further object is to provide flexible radially extending weeder prongs driving shafts for carrying. the rotary stages of growth and cultivation of the growing crop.

With the above mentioned and other ends in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, hereinafter described, illustrated in one of its embodiments in the accompanying particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of this specification Figure 1, is a perspective'view of a rotary weeder and cultivator constructed in accordance withthis invention. F ig. 2, an enlarged central longitudinal sectional view of the same, the rotary weeder element being slightly elevated'above the surface being cultivated. Fig. 3, a de tached view, partly in plan and partly in rear elevation showing the rotary elements or spider wheels set in overlapping relation to each other for the first or initial cultivation of the growing onions or piants. Fig. 4, a top plan view ofv the same. Fig. 5, a similar view showing the rotary weeder elements or spider wheels set in angular relation to each other for second or third cultivation. Fig. 6, a similar view showing the rotary weeder elements or spider wheelssplit apart and in proper angular relation to each other to throw the mulched soil up to the plants for the final cultivation of the same.

by means of bolts 2 and are'further secured to'the frame by means of cross brace rods 3,

extending in a substantially horizontal directioncand secured, in the present instance, to the top or horizontally extending member of the frame 1, whereby the handles 2, are securelybraced and maintained in proper relative position to the frame 1.

The rotary weeder elements or spider wheels preferably comprise hub members 4,

carrying a plurality or series of radially exarched portion of through vertical tending weeder prongs 4 As a means for providing for the various adjustments hereinafter described, as Well as driving the rotary weeder elements or spider wheels in any of the various adjustments flexible driving saafts 5, are provided, said flexible Shafts being 1? "eferably arrangedin crossed relation to each other beneath the the frame as shown, the upper outer ends of said flexible shafts 5, being mounted in bearings 6, upper ends of the side members of the frame 1, by means of adjusting bolts 6", extending slots 6*, (see Fig. 2) whereby said bearings for the purposes hereinafter referred to.

As a means of driving the flexible shafts 5,7

the latter are provided at their upper ends with sprocket wheels'Z', adapted to receive their motion through the medium of sprocket chains 8, mounted upon and driven by large sprocket wheels 9, thelatter being removably mounted and secured to theinner' sides of the cultivator wheels '10, bymeans of hooked clamping bolts 9 clamping, in the present instance, upon alternate spokes 10 of the wheels 10. 7

, As a means of universally supporting, connecting and adjusting the rotary weeder elements or spider wheels 4, whereby the latter may notonlybe moved to any desired position or angle be adjusted to any of incidence to the surface being cultivated the hub'portions of the spider wheelsare detachably and suitably connected to the lower ends of the flexible shafts 5, and are provided with suitable bearings mounted in bearing sleeves'll, the latter being provided with covered oil cups 11 7 v The universally adjustable bearing brackets comprise horizontally extending bracket secured near the may be adjusted vertically relative to each other but may desiredposition or angle wardly from the bearing brackets 1 ,,of the I arch or yoke frame 1, said rods being adjustably clamped to the bearing brackets 1*, by means of the U-shaped clamps 13, and nuts 13 Y As a means of vertically adjusting the bearing sleeves 11, whereby the cultivator elements or spider wheels 1, may be adjusted vertically or to and from the surface being cultivated as well as permitting the bearing sleeves 11, to be adjusted horizontally for permitting the weeder prongs 4 to be adjusted or placed in angular relation to each other as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, vertically" extending bracket rods 14, are provided the lower'ends ofsaid rods extending through bearing openings in bearings lugs 11", formed at the sides of the hearing sleeves 11, said bearing sleeves being secured in any desired adjusted position by means of clamping bolts 11, As a means of adjusting the bracket rods 14, longitudinally and laterally relative to the bracket rods 12, as well as connecting said rods 12, and 14, in adjustable relation to each other clamp blocks 15, are provided said blocks being split or bifurcated at opposite ends provided with suitable recesses to receive and contain the rods 12, and 1-1, and being provided with clamping bolts 15*, for clamping the rods 12, and 14, in any desired adjusted position. As a means for permitting the bracket rods 14, to be moved toward and from each other to vary thespace between the bearing sleeves 11, and the flexible driving shafts and weeder elements carried theredrawings the upper ends of the bracket rods 14, are bent into substantially horizontally extending portions 14F, to pass through the lower ends of the clamp blocks 15, above described.

It will be seen that by reason of the con- 'struction, arrangement, and combination of the parts and features of construction included in the bearing brackets and the con-v rods 12, secured beneath and extending rearby as illustrated in Figs. 4:, 5. and 6 of the.

nectionsbetween the same and the bearing sleeves 11, carrying the lower ends of the flexible shafts and the rotary weeder elements or spider wheels universally adjust able bearing brackets or connections are provided whereby said rotary weeder elements or spider wheels maybe adjusted to any desired position relativeto each other and at any desired angleand position to the surface being cultivated to meet the various requirements during'the various stages of the growth andcultivation of the growing crop as hereinbefore pointed out.

From the foregoing description, taken.- in connection with the accompanying draw-f ings, the operation and advantages of our invention will be readily understood. 7 Having thus described one of the'embodiments of our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s,

1. A cultivator, comprlslng a frame, um-

versally adjustable bearing brackets carried thereby, driving shafts mounted on some of said bracket members, driving means for said shafts, and rotary weeder elements connected to and driven by said driving shafts.

3. A cultivator, comprising an arched frame, universally adjustable bearing brackets carried thereby, flexible driving shafts carried by said brackets, rotary weeder elements carried by said shafts, and supporting wheels operatively connected to the latter.

4. In a cultivator, a plurality of horizontally and vertically extending bracket rods adjustably connected to each other, bearing sleeves adjustably mounted on said vertically extending bracket rods, and driving shafts and rotary weeder elements carried by said bearing sleeves.

5. In a cultivator, a frame provided with longitudinally and vertically extending bracket rods, clamping members connecting same, flexible shafts vertically and laterally adjustable on said vertically extending bracket rods, and rotary weeder elements connected to said flexible shafts.

6. In a cultivator, the combination with a frame provided With driving wheels and having vertically extending adjustably mounted bracket rods; of flexible driving shafts operatively connected to said driving Wheels and vertically and horizontally adjustable on said bracket rods, and rotary weeder members carried by said driving shafts.

7 A cultivator, comprising a frame, longitudinally and laterally adjustable bracket rods carried thereby, shaft bearing members vertically and laterally adjustable on some of said bracket rods, driving shafts carried by said shaft bearing members, ro-

tary weeder members carried by said driving shafts, and supporting wheels on said frame operatively connected to said driving shafts.

8. A cultivator, comprising a frame, horizontally extending bracket rods carried thereby, vertically extending bracket rods adjustably connected to the latter, bearing sleeves vertically and horizontally adjustable on said vertically extending bracket rods, flexible driving shafts carried in said bearing sleeves, and rotary weeder elements carried by said flexible driving shafts.

9. In a cultivator, a frame provided with a pair of horizontally extending bracket rods, clamping blocks adjustably mounted thereon, a second pair of bracket rods adjustably mounted in said clamping blocks and depending therefrom, shaft carrying bearing members vertically and horizontally adjustable on said second pair of bracket rods, and flexible driving shafts carried by said shaft carryingbearing members and provided with rotary weeder elements.

10. A. cultivator, comprising an arched frame provided at its top with a pair of vertically adjustable bearings, a pair of flexible driving shafts arranged in crossed relation to each other and having their upper ends mounted in said bearings, a plurality of universallv adjustable bearing bracket members carried at the sides of said frame, some of said bearing members supporting the lower ends of said flexible shafts, rotary weeder elements detachably connected to and adapted to be driven by said flexible shafts, and supporting wheels on said frame operatively connected to the upper ends of said flexible shafts.

In testimony whereof we have affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ABBA E. VROOMAN. HOWARD F. VROOMAN. Witnesses: GUY WYMAN,

MARIE DAYTON.

STARLEY S. SWANSON. Witnesses:

E. H. EnDRIoH, E. M. KENNY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents,

Washington, D. C. 

